S4's Kathy starts charity foundation for women

By Reality TV World staff, 08/02/2002

Competing on 'Survivor: Marquesas' taught Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien the importance of tapping into her inner strength and connecting with others, the 48-year-old real estate agent said recently. Now the AP reports that Vavrick-O'Brien is hoping to help other women through The Real Foundation, which plans to distribute funds to nonprofit organizations around the country for counseling and special projects like outdoor adventures.

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She's using part of her $80,000 earnings from "Survivor" and soliciting donations for the South Burlington-based foundation, which she hopes will enable women to go beyond self-imposed limits.

"You can change — it's not that big of a scary world out there," she said. "Here I was on a TV show and millions of people have accepted me for who I was. It's OK — you can break out and do something new; you really can."